UNC-IDB Strategic Studies Fellows Program Announces 2015 U.S. Army Graduates

CHAPEL HILL, N.C., Aug. 10, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The UNC-IDB Strategic Studies Fellows Program (SSFP) acknowledged this year's class with a July 31, 2015 graduation ceremony at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, NC.  GEN David Perkins, the Commanding General of the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), was the keynote speaker for the graduation event. 

The UNC-IDB SSFP is administered by the Institute for Defense and Business (IDB) in collaboration with the University of North Carolina (UNC) Partnership for National Security, Indiana University (IU), the Triangle Center on Terrorism and Homeland Security (TCTHS), and the Triangle Institute for Security Studies (TISS). 

IDB President, MG (Ret.) Jim Hodge, USA expressed his continued support of the program by stating, "I'm extremely proud of this flagship program which, since its inception in 2012, was specifically designed to support the Chief of Staff of the Army's Strategic Broadening Initiative..  This year's course was a resounding success.  Our graduates now possess the foundation, tools, and network to become the Army's agile, adaptive, and innovative leaders to 'Win in a Complex World'."

About the SSFP Program
The four-week course is a broadening leadership experience dedicated to enhancing the ability of emerging military leaders to adapt to the increasingly uncertain and complex international strategic environment. It is designed to enhance the critical and strategic thinking capabilities of U.S. Military Officers, Chief Warrant Officers, Senior Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs), and federal government civilians. The core curriculum of the graduate level program includes: National Security Decision Making; Strategic and Business Communication, Negotiations, Innovation and Management Strategy; Strategic View of the US Government (non-DoD); and Strategic Global Outlook. 

During this year's SSFP, GEN Daniel Allyn, Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, visited the class for a  personal discussion with the students about current Army issues. Other highlights included a local corporate visit day where students met with senior leaders at SAS, the largest privately held software company in the world, and Epic Games, a company based in Cary, NC that develops cutting-edge video games and cross-platform game engine technology, to learn about talent management in the new generation.

Capstone Team Project:
The program culminates with a team presentation and academic paper, demonstrating the students' application of the curriculum throughout in an applied strategic capstone team project. At the end of the course, students presented their findings before a panel consisting of MG Jim Hodge, USA (Ret.), IDB President; COL (P) Randall McIntire, U.S. Army Deputy Director, DAMO-SS; SGM Brenda Kadet, SGM, Deputy Chief of Staff, G-3/5/7, Strategy, Plans, and Policies; MG Jim Hodge, USA (Ret), IDB President; and Prof. Tim Nichols, Visiting Associate Professor of the Practice and Executive Director, Counterterrorism and Public Policy Fellowship Program, Duke University, Triangle Center on Terrorism and Homeland Security.

Graduating 2015 SSFP Class:
The graduates received a joint certificate from UNC and the IDB, one-and-a-half graduate-level academic credit hours from Indiana University's Kelley School of Business, and membership into the growing network of UNC-IDB Strategic Studies Fellows alumni.

The graduates included:

• CPT Amir Abu-Akeel, Commander, Mid Atlantic Recruiting Battalion
• SGM Deitra Alam, Chief Religious Affairs NCO, 1st TSC
• CPT Michael Alch, Troop Commander, 1st Infantry Division
• MAJ Robert Bartruff, Jr., Chief, Future Operations, DASA(P)
• Ms. Stephanie Bolduc, Liaison Officer, USFK
• CW4 Michael Boley, Battalion Standards, 1-214th AVN REGT
• MAJ (P) Freeman Bonnette, Equipping Analyst/Integrator, DCS G-3/5/7-Pentagon
• CPT Alfredo Carino Rivera, Battalion Adjutant, USARB Syracuse
• SFC Frederick Claro, Developer, The Judge Advocate General Legal Center and School
• MSG Michael Crain, Jr., Senior Enlisted Advisor, JIATF-NCR
• MAJ (P) Theresa Cross, Strategist, U.S. Central Command
• CW4 Carlo Davis, Targeting Officer, 25th Infantry Division
• CPT Kyle Davis, Sidewinder OC/T, Operations Group
• CPT Thomas  DeCarlo, G-4 XO, USARCENT
• CPT Robert Douglas, Medical Operations Officer, 2nd Infantry Division
• CSM Gabriel Espinosa, Garrison CSM, HQ USAG FT Campbell
• SGM Ellsworth Evans, Operation Protection Directorate, U.S. Army South
• CPT Howard Falls, Battalion Operations Officer, U.S. Army Recruiting Command
• Mr. Paul Fameli, Japan Exchange Program Manager, U.S. Army Japan
• CPT Elizabeth Fields, Company Commander, 706TH MI GRP
• SFC Malcolm Fleming, Operations NCO, 8th Theater Sustainment Command
• CPT Thomas Gaffney, Company Commander, 40th Expeditionary Signal Battalion
• Megan Grant, U.S. Army Africa/Southern European Task Force
• CPT David Guerdan, Commander, 169th Engineer Battalion
• CPT Daniel Harrison, Company Commander, 1st Infantry Division
• MSG Roderick Hendricks, S3 Operations NCOIC, 420th Engineer Brigade
• CPT Young Joo, Team Leader, 95th Civil Affairs Brigade (Airborne)
• CPT Shane Kohtz, Company Commander, 1st Infantry Division
• CPT John Kottlowski, Battalion S-2, 3D U.S. Infantry Regiment, The Old Guard
• CPT Patrick Linford, Commander, 814th Multi-Role Bridge Company
• CPT Kevin Maguire, Civil Affairs Team Leader, 97th Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne)
• SFC William Manchester, Intelligence Analyst, Asymmetric Warfare Group
• CW3 Brian McGraw, AH-64D Air Mission Commander/Aviation Safety Officer, 1st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade
• CPT Jacqualine McKenna, CIOC Analysis Deputy Chief, 501st MI BDE
• CPT Ifechide Monyei, Executive Officer/Project Coordinator, NCIA Sector Brunssum
• CPT Henry Okoroafor, Assignment Officer, U.S. Army Europe
• CPT Alex  Oliver, Company Commander, National Ground Intelligence Center
• MAJ Mary Olodun, Deputy Training & Readiness Chief, United States Reserve Command
• MAJ Julius Penn, Public Affairs Officer, 316th ESC
• CPT Emille Prosko, Logistics Captains Career Course Instructor, 71st Transportation Battalion
• CW2/P Weaver Prosper, Construction Engineering Technician, USARCENT
• CPT Khadine Quashie, BN XO/ Sustainment BDE Planner OC/T, 3rd BN 345th REGT, TSBN
• MAJ Carlos Rivera, Intelligence Planner, CJCS J2
• CPT Kevin Sandell, Brigade Public Affairs Officer, 504th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade
• SFC Joseph Scalies, Operations NCO, CECOM
• SFC Eric Shults, ALC Course Manager, 169th Engineer Battalion
• CPT Roderick Taylor, Battalion S2, 307th Expeditionary Signal Battalion
• CPT Jake Weber, Battalion S6, 782nd Military Intelligence Battalion
• SFC Garry White, Military Science Instructor, Cadet Command
• CPT Joshua Wolf, Company Commander, 169th Engineer Battalion

About the IDB
The IDB is a non-profit research and education institute formed in 1997 by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the state of North Carolina. The institute provides custom executive education programs in the areas of logistics and technology, life cycle systems, leadership and organizational transformation, strategic studies, stabilization and economic reconstruction, and the IU-UNC LogMBA program.

For information on the SSFP program please contact Zebrina Warner, IDB Program Director, at 919-969-8008 or [email protected].

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SOURCE Institute for Defense and Business